A thorough review of "HELL TARGET"! A detailed explanation of its merits and shortcomings

The appeal and evaluation of "HELL TARGET"

Overview

"HELL TARGET" is an OVA released by Victor Music Industries Co., Ltd. on January 21, 1987. It is a short but dense 50-minute episode, known as a sci-fi psycho-horror animation. The original story and script were written by Kenichi Matsuzaki, and Nakamura Keizu was in charge of production, direction, planning, and original concept, with Nakamura Productions and Studio Nue involved in the production.

story

Communication with the exploration spaceship Scrub, which was launched to investigate the unknown planet Inferno II, has been lost. A few years later, humanity launches the exploration spaceship Defiant to investigate Inferno II again. They somehow manage to reach Inferno II, but are attacked by a mysterious creature there.

Commentary

"HELL TARGET" is an OVA planned and produced mainly by Nakamura Productions, an animation studio known for its participation in anime drawings. The tagline on the product packaging is "SF Psycho Horror Animation." The story is set in outer space and has strong horror overtones. During the OVA boom of the 1980s, this work attracted attention as a new attempt to combine horror and SF.

cast

The cast of this film is as follows:

• Hans Kruger/Katsunosuke Hori
• Kitazato Makroh/Akira Murayama
• Tiki Kalmaku/Sumi Shimamoto
• Harry Howard/Hirotaka Suzuoki
• Jean Muller/Kaneto Shiozawa
• Rico Fernandez/Ikuya Sawaki
• Chang Lee/Shingo Hiromori
• Yura Treyanov/Koichi Chiba
• Meryl Brown/Masara Takashima

Main Staff

The main staff of this work are as follows:

• Produced, directed, planned and conceived by Keizu Nakamura
• Original story and script by Kenichi Matsuzaki
• Character design and animation director: Akiyoshi Nakamura
• Mechanical design: Hiroshi Yokoyama
• Director of photography: Takahashi Hiroto
• Sound Director: Yasunori Honda
• Music by Toshiaki Miki
• Assistant Director: Mutsumi Kunii
• Producers: Kazuo Takigawa, Akiyoshi Nakamura, Kenichi Matsuzaki
• Mecha animation director: Hirai Hisashi
• Photography: Takeo Kobayashi, Yasuyoshi Toyonaga, Izumi Kasama, Yoshiaki Yasuhara, Toshiyuki Fukushima, Taizo Matsuzaki
• Art Director: Shigemi Ikeda
• Color setting: Shoji Kumabe
• Color designation: Sadako Yonemura
• Edited by Kazuo Inoue
• Music producer/Hiroo Takeda
• Music Production Agency: Inner Galaxy International
• Sound Production: Arts Pro
• Original Soundtrack/Victor Music Industries
• Sound effects/Yasuyuki Konno
• Dubbing/Abaco Studio
• Title/Maki Pro
• Dubbing/Sound Planning Studio
• Developed at Tokyo Developing Laboratory
• Publicity Producer/Akihiro Nagashima
• Special effects/Yasuhiko Komori
• Recording adjustment: Kiyoto Naruse
• Production cooperation: Studio Nue
• Produced by Nakamura Productions

Main Characters

The protagonist of the film is Hans Kruger, a member of the crew of the exploration spaceship Defiant, whose character is portrayed as he battles the terrors of the unknown planet Inferno II.

Theme songs and music

The ending theme "Farewell My Lovely One ~Adios Amor~" was written by Konomi Ran and Toshiyuki Miki, composed and arranged by Toshiyuki Miki, and sung by Rosa Bianca. This song is an important element that enhances the atmosphere of the work.

Appeal of the work

The greatest appeal of "HELL TARGET" is its unique fusion of horror and science fiction. Set on the unknown planet Inferno II, the film depicts a confrontation with a mysterious creature, giving viewers a strong sense of fear. It has also been praised for taking on the psycho-horror genre, which was rare for OVA works in the 1980s.

Furthermore, the character and mechanical designs are also superb, with Nakamura Akiyoshi's character designs being particularly eye-catching among the OVAs of the time. Yokoyama Hiroshi's designs, who was in charge of mechanical design, are also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work.

The music is also an important element in enhancing the atmosphere of the work. Toshigo Miki's music perfectly expresses the worldview of horror and science fiction, and the ending theme "Farewell My Lovely One ~Adios Amor~" also plays an important role in leaving a lingering impression on the viewers.

Ratings and Recommendations

"Hell Target" is one of the most highly acclaimed OVAs from the 1980s, praised for its unique fusion of horror and science fiction, the beauty of its character and mechanic designs, and its fantastic music.

This work is especially recommended for those who like horror and science fiction, as well as those who are interested in OVA works from the 1980s and those who want to know the history of anime. The sight of Hans Kruger and his friends fighting the terror of the unknown planet Inferno II will leave a strong impression on the viewer.

Furthermore, this work also shows the potential of the OVA medium. Although it is short, it is packed with content, and it fully brings out the appeal of OVA, which can have a strong impact on the viewer. For that reason, I would recommend this work to anyone who is interested in OVA works.

"HELL TARGET" is one of the most highly acclaimed OVAs from the 1980s, praised for its fusion of horror and science fiction, beautiful character and mechanic designs, and superb music. This is a work that I would especially recommend to those who like horror and science fiction, those who are interested in OVAs from the 1980s, those who want to know the history of anime, and those who are interested in OVAs. The sight of Hans Kruger and his friends fighting the terror of the unknown planet Inferno II will leave a strong impression on viewers.